Now this is a story about
old Long John.
Seems the sheriff had some
new bloodhounds
he wanted to try out.
So he took old Long John out of jail.
Gave him half an hour's head start.
Well, old John, he just started running.
Got down to the old creek,
he waded through it.
Then he just reached in his pocket,
and he pulled him out a pair
of shoes he'd got hid.
They had a heel in front,
and they had a heel behind.
Now they couldn't quite tell
which way old John was going.
So they never did find them,
I reckon they're still huntin'
I'm long gone, I'm long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
With my long clothes on
With my long clothes on
With my long clothes on
Well, if I had listened
To what Mother said I'd
have been sleepin'
In a feather bed, but I didn't listen
I just rambled about,
and now I'm in jail
With my teeth poked out
I'm long gone, I'm long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
With my long clothes on
With my long clothes on
Well, the sheriff said, John,
how fast can you run
I can lose your hound
before the sun goes down
I had a heel in front, I had a heel behind
You couldn't quite tell
if I was coming or going
I'm long gone
I'm long gone, I'm long gone.
Like a turkey through the corn,
like a turkey through the corn.
With my long clothes on,
with my long clothes on.
With my long clothes on,
with my long clothes on.
Well the sun went down,
well the sun went down.
And the hounds came back,
and the hounds came back.
They couldn't quite follow,
couldn't quite follow.
Old Long John's track,
old Long John's track.
So it's now I'm at home,
in a feathered bed
All the hounds in that prison
are a -hangin' their heads
I'm long gone, I'm long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
With my long clothes on
With my long clothes on
With my long clothes on
You